Police in Thessaloniki have broken up an international criminal network that smuggled more than 324 kilograms of raw cannabis from Albania to Turkey through Greece.
Officers arrested two foreign nationals, aged 58 and 43, during a coordinated raid in the Thessaloniki area on Friday morning, August 14, 2026. Authorities identified a third foreign national who remains at large.
Police estimated that the smuggling ring expected to generate illegal profits exceeding 700,000 euros. The syndicate concealed the narcotics inside specially constructed compartments within commercial shipments of recycled paper transported on international freight trucks.
Thessaloniki is a major port city and logistics hub in northern Greece, situated near key transit routes linking the Western Balkans with Turkey. Law enforcement agencies across Southern Europe frequently monitor freight corridors in the region, where legitimate commercial shipping is sometimes exploited to move illicit goods across international borders.
Seizure of recycled paper shipments
Greek police launched the operation following intelligence gathering, data cross-referencing, and suspect profiling conducted in coordination with drug prosecution authorities in North Macedonia and Kosovo.
Officers located the two arrested men inside an enclosed compound in the Thessaloniki area. According to police, the suspects were holding eight pallets of recycled paper cargo on behalf of the syndicate.
Inspectors found four of the pallets inside a semi-trailer vehicle and four stacked next to it. Custom hidden compartments built into the paper cargo contained packages holding 324 kilograms and 474 grams of raw cannabis intended for delivery to Turkey.
During the search, police seized the semi-trailer, two passenger cars, two mobile phones, a foreign vehicle license plate, and 1,165 euros in cash. Officers also recovered 11 empty duffel bags near the location where the drugs were confiscated.
Roles within the criminal network
Investigators said the criminal organization maintained a strict hierarchy and professional infrastructure, assigning specific roles to each member to manage the trafficking pipeline.
According to police, the suspect who was not arrested was responsible for overall coordination in Greece. His duties included securing storage facilities, overseeing the construction of hidden compartments in paper shipments, contacting drug suppliers, and directing truck drivers transporting drugs toward Turkey.
Police identified the 43-year-old suspect as the member responsible for receiving the cannabis from Albania and hiding it within the recycled paper shipments. Officers said the 58-year-old suspect provided operational support for transporting, concealing, and handing over the narcotics along the transit route from Greece into Turkey.
Prosecution and ongoing search
Officers transferred the two detained men to the competent prosecutorial authority in Thessaloniki following their arrest.
Greek authorities said investigations remain ongoing in cooperation with law enforcement agencies in Albania and Turkey to identify and locate further accomplices tied to the network.
